Dear College,

It's officially the halfway point. I have made it almost through one more semester here at the University of Florida. I still cannot believe I am in my third year of college. I, along with so many others, went from high school to college in the blink of an eye. Now, it's happening again. It turns out, college went by just as fast if not faster than high school did. Thank you, college for teaching me and making me a better person.

After all this time, I can definitely say I've had many memorable experiences. I've had some laughs and also some tragic moments (thank you Library West for being a part of them). I've met too many incredible people and learned so much from professors, advisors, friends and beyond. I am so thankful for the people I have met that have been my lifelines many a time and helped coach me through some difficult decisions. Thank you to those who encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things every day.

One thing I will definitely be forever grateful for is the opportunity to study abroad in Spain. I don't think I have ever learned as much as I did in the ten weeks I was there. I was blessed with incredible opportunities to travel to four different countries while I was there and experience all different types of cultures. I learned about Spanish history, culture and more about my roots. College definitely surpassed my expectations with this one.

Now to move onto the people, where do I begin? I have been fortunate enough to work with students of all different majors and backgrounds. I went from being a mentee myself to eventually becoming a mentor in both business settings and to freshman students. One of the most important things I've learned is that you can learn as much as or more from your students and mentees than they can from you. These students inspire me to be better and work harder. They inspire me to fight the good fight and believe in myself. Thank you college for making me a better human, teaching me so much and helping me become the best version of myself.